Attributions of Responsibility for Pain in Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome.

Attributions of Responsibility for Pain in Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome, Melanie Jodoin, Sophie Bergeron, Samir Khalife, Marie-Josee Dupuis, Genevieve Desrochers, and Tina Landry, University of Quebec at Montreal

We studied whether attribution of responsibility for pain was associated with pain intensity, dyadic adjustment, and pain self-efficacy in women with vulvar vestibulitis syndrome. Data were obtained from 45 participants who took part in a gynecological examination, a structured interview, and standardized questionnaires focusing on dyadic adjustment, pain self-efficacy, anxiety, global sexual functioning, and pain during intercourse. The results of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that attribution of responsibility for pain predicted both dyadic cohesion and pain intensity of these women after controlling for state-trait anxiety. Internal attributions of responsibility for pain were associated with better dyadic cohesion and lower pain intensity. Results also showed that attribution of partner responsibility for pain predicted pain self-efficacy reported by these women, even if the effect of trait anxiety and the global sexual functioning were controlled. Therefore, attribution of partner responsibility for pain by women was related to lower pain self-efficacy. In relation with gynecological pain, these results suggest that attribution of responsibility for pain is a powerful predictor of pain intensity and dyadic cohesion in women with vulvar vestibulitis syndrome. Moreover, the perception that partners were responsible for pain decreased pain self-efficacy in these women.